Let me be at my funniest: Instagram users’ motivations for using Finsta (a.k.a., fake Instagram)

Instagram users can create two types of account to manage their self-presentation strategically. On a real Instagram account (known as Rinsta), users highlight flattering aspects of self, whereas on a fake Instagram account (known as Finsta), users show unflattering aspects of self. We conducted an online survey with college Instagram users who used both Rinsta and Finsta (N = 149) to empirically uncover how user motivations and self-presentation behaviors were different between these two accounts. We found that Instagram users rated five user motivations (i.e., social interaction, self-expression, escapism, peeking, and archiving) higher for the Rinsta than for the Finsta, and they mainly created the Finsta to provide fun daily update and to socially bond with close friends. In addition, we observed that Instagram users presented their actual-self, ideal-self, deceptive-self, and impressive-self to a greater degree on the Rinsta than on the Finsta. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.